My view: Give it a miss
I will be using this sunscreen test in most products. I want to be impartial as possible.
1. Harmful chemical presents
The harmful chemical present are parabens, which are cheap and effective preservatives. They are also estrogen mimickers and if you are thinking PCOS, then you are not the only one. The second harmful chemical is Oxybenzone, a UVA and UVB filter. This is also a hormonal disruptor and a known skin allergen.
(For more information, see Chemicals to Avoid – Parabens., Chemicals To Avoid – Benzophenone-3)
2. Minimum SPF is 30?
Its the policy of this blog to suggest a MINIMUM of SPF 30 products. The SPF 30 number only holds true if you apply the correct amount – 2mg/cm2. Its impossible to eyeball this amount correctly and studies show you’ll end up having less SPF on your skin then you think. Also, with India’s intense UV radiation, applying less sunscreen is not great for your skin.
Even 50% less product reduces SPF 20 to somewhere between SPF 13 and SPF 5.
Still want to use this product?
(See Is SPF 50 better than SPF 15? for a more detailed discussion, as well as fancier graphs).
3. UVA and UVB filters present
Both UVA and UVB have been implicated in skin cancer and photo-aging.
We want filters to protect against BOTH UVA and UVB.
The filters are:
- Octinoxate (9th ingredient)
- Titanium Dioxide (10th ingredient)
- Oxybenzone (15th ingredient)
Inadequate quantity of filters: We don’t know the exact percentages of these filters so we have to estimate the adequacy of protection. In the post, Do You Know Your Filters? my method is to look at the first seven listed ingredients on a label, as ingredients are listed in descending order. If the UV filters are contained in the top 7, its likely the product provides adequate levels of protection.
In theory, these filters could provide very weak UVA and UVB protection.
But if you are going to use sunscreen, why would you pay for sub-standard questionable UVA and UVB protection?
4) Other reasons to reject this product
India does not have specific sunscreen regulation – so manufacturer’s have a free hand over the labelling. Lotus Herbals have taken complete advantage and have ” SUN BLOCK”, “Sweat & Water Proof” on their label.
A sun block implies that the product completely blocks UVR (ultra violet radiation) or provides “complete” or “total” protection. Such a (miraculous) sunscreen does not exist and in the EU – where there is specific sunscreen regulation – manufacturers cannot make such claims.
Please pay no attention to these meaningless words.
Closing remarks
I don’t enjoy reviewing bad products and fingers crossed, Lotus Herbals redo their sunscreen formulations.
Drop me a line at email@happyskindays.com if you have any comments
See also: Top 5 Sunscreen Recommendations, Do You Understand the Gibberish on Sunscreen Labels?
(see Top Sunscreen Recommendations).